It’s been six months since Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanizadeh bravely defected from the Iranian women’s football team during the AFC Woman’s Asian Cup – and since then, the pair have been busy building their new lives in Australia.
Since they were granted refugee status, Fatemeh, who goes by Pasand, and Atefeh, who goes by Ati, have begun training with the Brisbane-based Wynnum Wolves FC, where they’ve both been embraced by the entire community.
“Since they came to us, we’ve been providing one-on-one coaching support, a whole lot of strength and conditioning, as well as medical support,” the club’s president Rabieh Krayem, tells Woman’s Day.
“They haven’t played yet as they’re not ready to – but we’ve taken then under our club umbrella to get them ready, and hopefully they’ll be out on the pitch as soon as possible.”
BUILDING A NEW LIFE
Since they started training with the club four-and-a-half months ago, Rabieh says Ati and Pasand have settled into the Wolves nicely.
“They’ve embraced the club as much as we’ve embraced them as they’re comfortable in the environment they are now training in,” he says.
“Ultimately, we’ll work with them to get them into the Women’s W League. They know they’ve always got a home with us, but our aim is to get them playing in the highest level.”
During the Asian World Cup, Pasand and Ati were the only ones out of seven players that were offered asylum by the Australian government after the entire team were branded as “wartime traitors” for refusing to sing Iran’s national anthem during their match against South Korea.
The squad’s captain Zahra Ghanbari, and players Mona Hamoudi and Zahra Sarbali all initially accepted the asylum offer, but backed out at the last minute due to pressure from the team’s support staff who accompanied them to Australia, and the Iranian government.
“Their families were threatened and even some voice messages by their families were played for the football players to convince them to go back,” one member of the Iranian-Australian diaspora told The Guardian in March.
But since being granted refugee status, both Pasand and Ati have made the most of settling into their new home – and both are now Australian citizens.
“After everything we’ve been through, today feels like a new beginning,” Ati wrote on Instagram in August. “I want to sincerely thank Australia for giving us the opportunity to build a new life, and I’m deeply grateful to the Iranian community for all the support, kindness and efforts made for us along the way.”
Both Ati and Pasand were presented with their citizenship certificate by Tony Burke, the Minister for Home Affairs who granted the girls a humanitarian visa after the AFP helped them escape their minders.
“Some journeys aren’t chose, they chose you,” Ati wrote on her Instagram on the day she became an Australian citizen.
“I never imagined I would leave the country where I was born, where I grew up, and were I proudly wore my national team’s jersey.”
FINDING A NEW PACK
Detailing their new lives down under on 60 Minutes, Pasand revealed that she was learning Australian slang from Bluey while Ati had passed her Australian driving test.
But both also shared the heartbreaking cost of their new lives, with Ati and Pasand agreeing that they may never see their families again.
“We were under so much stress”, Ati recalls, of the moment she decided to leave Iran.
“We didn’t know if we were doing the right thing. We were terrified and anxious – it was a mix of feelings. The night we made the decision, none of us slept until 5am.”
Pasand also recalled feeling worried about her decision.
“The team was like my family and I felt like I was leaving them. I was worried about what happened to them and to me,” she explained.
But as both Ati and Pasand continue settling into their new lives, it’s clear they are well supported by their new FC, who posted a touching tribute to both players on social media.
“We couldn’t be prouder to have them as part of our Wolves family,” the Wynnum Wolves posted on Instagram.
“Their bravery, values and the strength they continue to show are an inspiration to our entire community. We’re incredibly proud that their journey now includes the wolves.”
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